Gas-engine-starting device.



G. W; man. GAS ENGINE STARTING DEVICE. APILIGATION FILED JAN. 12. 1911.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAM SAGE, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD '10 W. R. BYARS, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WVILLIAM SAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Gas-Engine Sta1ting Device, of which the following is a specification.

The main obj ect of the present invention is to provide a convenient and effective means for starting gas engines, particularly automobile engines, in such manner that there is no liability of injury to the operator on back firing. of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gas engine starter for automobiles in which the starting means will be located conveniently adjacent to the operators sea-t.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of J an automobile, showing the operative connections for the starting device. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of an automobile, showing the starting clutch. Fig. 3-

is a transverse section on line av -em in Fig. 2. ,7

1 designates the body of an automobile, and 2 the shaft of the engine or motor thereof, or, generally speaking, a shaft connected to the motor so that it may be used as a starting shaft. 011 the shaft 2 is mounted a wheel 3 having a smooth periphcry, and a clutch member is provided adapted to engage and gripsaid periphery, said clutch member consisting of a curved band 1 forming a nearly completering extending around said wheel and means for moving the ends of said band together to grip the wheel and for moving the band rotatably with respect to the shaft 2 to rotate said shaft. Said band 4 is carried by or connected to an arm 5 extending from the hub 6 rotatably mounted on the shaft 2, said hub 6 also carrying an arm 7, which is connected at one end to aspring 8 and secured at its other end to. a fixed part of the machine frame, for example, as indicated at 9. The operating means comprises an arm 10 pivotally connected at 11 to the arm 7 and a flexible connection, such as a rope, cable or chain 12 connected to the arm 10. In order to give GASZENGINE-STARTINGDEVICE; 1

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented Oct, 24 1911, Application filed January 12, 1911. Serial No. 602,345.

the same radius of action and the same rotative effect in all angular positions of the operating arm, the arm 10 is preferably formed with a segmental extension 13 extending around the wheel 3 concentric with the axis thereof and the flexible operating member 12 is secured at 15 to the end por 1 tion of said extension and winds thereover.

A link or bar 16 is pivoted at 17 to the arm 10 and at 18 to one end of the clutch band 1, the other end of said band being pivotally connected to the arm 7, as by means of the pivot ll aforesaid, so that when the arm 10 is turned on the pivot ll by the operating 1 means 12,.the link 16 is drawnfin suclrmanner as to contract the band t and wind it onto the wheel 3. A limiting means, consisting, for example, of a screw 25 in an extension 7 of the arm 7 engages with the arm 10 to limit the operating movement thereof tending to contract the clutch band 1, so that the said clutch b nd can not be tight ened or gripped so tightly on the wheel 3 as to prevent its instantaneous release under the elasticity of the band 4 when the operating means 12 is slacked' or allowed to more to normal position. Arm 5 is sufficiently elastic at its outer end to permit of the contractile movement of the band.

The operating means 12 is preferably controlled by a lever 19 connected thereto, pivoted, for example, as shown at 20, on the a frame of the machine adjacent to the operators seat 21, said lever 19 extending through a slot 22 in thefoot board 23 of the machine and normally lying in depressed position, as shown in Fig. 1. The flexible operating means 12 is connected to lever 19 by a pivot 2a, and the other end of said flexible means 12 being connected to the arm 10, as stated, a guide sheave 26 being provided for this flexible. means 12.

The operation is as follows:'Normally the lever 19 lies in depressed position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the spring 8 holds the arm 7 and connecting parts in position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the band 4 expands.

under its own elasticity to a diameter greater than that of the periphery of the wheel 3', so that the clutch constituted by the members 3 and 41- is released. If it is desirable to start the engine shaft, the lever 19 is forciturn the arm 10 around the pivot 11. OIL

account of the resistance ofiered by the spring 8, the first effect of this turning movement is to contract the band 4 onto the periphery, of the wheel 3, causing said band is a lever having a simple to and fro movement, danger to the operator is avoided.

\Vhat I claim is In combination with a shaft of a gas engine, a wheel on said shaft, a friction clutch member adapted to grip said wheel and tending to move into position to release the wheel, an operating arm connected to said a member to tighten the clutch member on the wheel and to rotate the clutch member with "the wheel 3, the shaft 2 is thereby forcibly rotated. It will'be understoodthat if'the first partial rotation thus effected is insuflicient to start the engine, the operation may 15 be repeated, the spring 8 drawing the arm 7 back after each operation; If, during the starting operation, the engine should backfire, the device is returned to its normal position by such action and the clutch is thereby released from engagement with the wheel 3. For this reason and for the reason that the starting.lever,19 is not in the form of av rotary crank adapted to swing around and strike the other-arm of the operator, but it 'the wheel, a spring for restoring the arm to normal position, said arm having an extension concentric with the axis of the shaft, a flexible operating means winding on said extension and connected thereto, and a lever connected to said flexible operating means. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 5th day of January, 1911.

GEORGE WILLIAM SAGE.

In presence of ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

